IND vs NZ, WTC final, Day 4: Rain prevents play in Southampton with match finely poised

The fourth day of the final of the maiden edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) between India and New Zealand, witnessed no play. Poor weather resulted in not a single delivery being bowled. There are high chances of the match extending into the designated reserve day on Wednesday, following Monday’s washout. However, the weather forecast for the fifth and potential sixth days of the Test is significantly improved, which is certainly a boost. An announcement on the reserve day will be made during Tuesday’s play. Play is scheduled to start at 10:30 am BST on Tuesday, with an additional 60 minutes of lost playing time (a minimum of 15 overs) added from the start of the scheduled last hour of play.

Additional time can be added if all overs are not completed in the scheduled time, and an extra 30 minutes can follow if requested by either captain and if the umpires believe that the additional time could bring a definite result on the day. New Zealand will resume on 101/2 in their first innings on Tuesday if conditions permit. They are still 116 runs behind with captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease.

Kyle Jamieson’s heroics on Day 3

India lost seven wickets on Sunday, as Kyle Jamieson recorded his fifth five-wicket haul in his eight-match Test career. Jamieson dismissed Kohli before accounting for two dismissals in as many deliveries to help wrap up the tail.

The pacer has now accounted for 44 wickets in eight Tests since making his debut in the longest format for New Zealand in February 2020. The dismissals have been registered at an average of 14.13 and an economy of 2.36.

“I think the team culture and the environment that has been created over a long period of time is certainly one of the strings of this team and allows guys [to perform]. I have certainly been comfortable coming into this group and just being able to go about your business and I think having world-class guys around you allows you to just settle in your role. I’ve been able to learn off these guys and I guess ride the coattails of them a little bit. The pressure they build and the runs they score, I can’t speak highly enough of the environment,” said Jamieson in a press conference following the conclusion of the third day’s play.

Opener Shubman Gill is confident that the Indian team can put up a strong fight, terming the dismissal of Devon Conway as “crucial”. Conway became the first and so far only batter to record a half-century in this Test with his 54 on Sunday.

“It was a crucial wicket for us and I feel if we’d have been able to have bowled a couple more overs to Ross Taylor, the new batsmen, we might have gotten a couple of more. When the play restarts we will have a slight edge on them as both are relatively new on the crease. I think both of the teams will try to have a result out of this match. If the conditions don’t go our way then there isn’t much that we can do,” said Gill.

It will be interesting to note if play resumes on Tuesday.